1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is relative to a method of producing dry thioctic acid with the following formula: ##STR1##
When thioctic acid is mentioned in the present application the enantiomers (R and S form) and the racemic mixture as well as mixtures with any ratio of the enantiomers are to be understood. The exact chemical name of thioctic acid is 1,2-dithiolane-3-pentanoic acid. The (R) enantiomer of thioctic acid is a natural substance which occurs in slight concentrations in practically all animal and vegetable cells. Thioctic acid is of great importance as coenzyme in the oxidative decarboxylation of .alpha.-ketocarboxylic acids (e.g. pyruvic acid). Thioctic acid is pharmacologically active and has antiphlogistic and antinociceptive (analgetic) as well as cytoprotective properties. An important medicinal indication is the treatment of diabetic polyneuropathy.
2. Background Information
Thioctic acid is produced according to a number of methods which are described e.g. in J. S. Yadav et al., J. Sci. Ind. Res. 1990, 49, 400; A. G. Tolstikov et al., Bioorg. Khim. 1990, 16, 1670; L. Dasaradhi et al., J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1990, 729; A. S. Gopalan et al., J. Chem. Perkin Trans. 1 1990, 1897; A. S. Gopalan et al., Tetrahedron Lett. 1989, 5705; EP 0487986 A2; E. Walton et al., J. Am Chem. Soc. 1995, 77; D. S. Acker and W. J. Wayne, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1957, 79, 6483; L. G. Chebotareva and A. M. Yurkevich, Khim.-Farm. Zh. 1980, 14, 92. The raw product obtained is then worked up according to customary methods and finally processed to the finished drug. Especially high requirements are placed on the purity of the active substance and of the additives in the approval of the drug; among other things, the residual content of solvent must not exceed a certain value. Recently, there have been attempts to lower this limiting value even more in the case of thioctic acid.